Markets in everything: convert the atheist, on Turkish TV

It sounds like the beginning of a joke: what do you get when you put
a Muslim imam, a Greek Orthodox priest, a rabbi, a Buddhist monk and 10
atheists in the same room?

Viewers of Turkish television will
soon get the punchline when a new game show begins that offers a prize
arguably greater than that offered by Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

Contestants
will ponder whether to believe or not to believe when they pit their
godless convictions against the possibilities of a new relationship
with the almighty on Penitents Compete (Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor
in Turkish), to be broadcast by the Kanal T station. Four spiritual
guides from the different religions will seek to convert at least one
of the 10 atheists in each programme to their faith.

Those
persuaded will be rewarded with a pilgrimage to the spiritual home of
their newly chosen creed – Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for Christians
and Jews, and Tibet for Buddhists.

The real prize, of course, is the conversion itself. But if you are faking it just to win the trip, I believe Islam is at a disadvantage. By the way, they do "verify" that you are an atheist in the first place, using a panel of eight theologians (are they so hard to fool?), plus they monitor your behavior afterwards to see you truly have become a believer.

I like it! I hope that English translations start appearing on YouTube.

Technically, isn’t having the Priest on the show illegal? I have been told by friends who went on mission trips over there that it is illegal for a Christian to proselytize in Turkey. Is anyone aware of the specifics of these laws?

I’am adding to the european literature another “saying”. “Making tv show like a Turk.”
This is extremely ridiculous to make a tv show like that and I am sure as a 100% Turk, people in here are only watching this show for fun because there are a tv show culture developed recent years where people acts like they live their own real life but this is nothing more than cheap acting which are performing by ordinary people.
Honestly, It is very funny to watch. I wish you could speak Turkish and understand the conversations between that retarded guys.